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The Michael L. Miozza
2009 ACTION PLAN
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Fall River Needs a Sound Economic Development
Strategy
The city's unemployment rate for May
2009 was 13.9 percent, the second highest in the
state. We must create a strategy that aims to grow
and develop Fall River's economy to create
sustainable wealth and quality of life for all,
while protecting and respecting the environment. The
strategy should be focused on economic well-being,
while integrating social, cultural and environmental
well-being. The city must become less reliant on
state aid and it must become much more reliant on
self-sufficiency.
My vision is that by 2020 Fall River
will be a turn around city with a world-class
business setting that is recognized state-wide and
nationally as a sustainable center of business
excellence. The City Council must work in
partnership with the city administration, state and
federal agencies, the community, and business to
achieve city-wide economic development
objectives.
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We must recognize we can no longer
sustain ourselves solely on manufacturing and that
we must continue to build a creative economy. We
must embrace the arts and provide affordable artist
space. We must preserve and protect our historic
buildings while promoting economic growth in all
commercial areas of Fall River. We must create a
vibrant and diverse
pedestrian-friendly “Main Street” with mostly small
shops with a mix of office and residential space and
entertainment choices
to complement the business success.
The city
has few high paying jobs and so our brightest and
best graduates cannot stay here. To stop our
educated young people from leaving, we must provide
them with high-value, high-skill jobs and we must
provide them with entertainment options.
Additionally, I support "regionalization",
in which the economies of the region become more
closely intertwined. This collaboration between
regions could be a sharing of resources, a sharing
of tourism, and/or a sharing of services.
Finally, there should be no more cuts
in police, fire and the DPW.
I will fight to safeguard these vital
services. If we build
around our strengths and create a sound economic
strategy we can and will have a self-sufficient
economy. Increasing property taxes as a solution
should always be looked at as a "last resort".
Government Structure that
Helps the Mayor Focus on City Business
I believe one way to help the City of Fall
River move forward, is to help the Mayor focus
strictly on city business. The City Charter should
be changed to remove the Mayor from the School
Committee which will allow the mayor to have
"laser focus" on all city issues and to reduce a
past focus on patronage. If it is the will of the
community to make this change, then I will lead the
charge to help initiate the change.
Create a Sensible Adult Entertainment Zone
The City Council and Administration has
failed the community by not establishing a
zone that keeps adult entertainment establishments
out of the central business district and
neighborhoods. To accomplish this, I recommend
creating a zone that ensures we keep
adult entertainment businesses 1,200
feet away from
the property line
of a residentially zoned property, churches,
schools, public parks and social service
institutions.
Now is the time for our City Council
to help define Fall River's Adult Entertainment
Zone, not allow the lack of a Zone to define
Fall River. Aggressive action is necessary now.
Fall River Can
Benefit by Improved Representation
The city charter should be changed to
improve ward representation by electing ward
councilors along with councilors-at-large. I
believe a vote carries more weight in ward
elections.
Every section of the city deserves
equal representation. I
believe the ward system encourages councilors to
become fully knowledgeable about the area they
represent. Fall River is too large for councilors
to have intimate knowledge of every neighborhood in
the city. Ward elections will allow candidates to
personally visit each home in the ward, and to speak
personally with a member of each house they seek to
represent. Running in a ward makes councilors more
accountable to neighborhood voters. The ward system
prevents the undesirable possibility of having too
many councilors coming from the same area of the
city. Our city is becoming more diverse – a ward
system can best accommodate these changes. The ward
system also gives us a diversity of opinion on the
City Council.
The current at-large system gives an unfair
advantage to wealthy candidates since it costs more
to run city wide than in a particular section of the
city. This also makes them more susceptible to being
beholden to special interest groups.
If it is the desire of the community, I will
work to change the city charter and help guide the
city through the process.
Mandatory Recycling Can Benefit the City
The environmental challenges
facing our planet are so big and so complex that we
often feel it is far beyond our individual control.
But the simple fact is - if we all step up to the
challenge and do our part - together we can make
a big difference. Nowhere is that more true than
in the area of recycling. It's simple and easy—and
not only does it reduce our impact on the Earth's
natural resources, it will also reduce the amount of
trash we will eventually have to ship out of
state. I support creating a long-term,
environmentally sustainable recycling plan to manage
our solid waste. This is BOTH a quality of life
issue and a financial opportunity for our city. If
I am elected to the City Council, I will make this
one of my top priorities. | 
